MoR overview
A manager-once-removed (MoR) is part of the Three-Tier Team that includes Employees-Once-Removed (EoRs), their managers, and their manager’s manager (MoR). The MoR is accountable for the quality, effectiveness and viability of the entire Three-Tier Team. The MoR role is a foundational aspect in creating the right structure and environment where employees can contribute their best. MoRs have a critical role in creating future organizational capability through employee development and mentoring that is aligned with business requirements. In this sense, MoRs are the glue within the organization which connects all employees to the CEO and the overarching mission.
MoR Accountability
As an MoR, you are specifically accountable for:
- Setting Context and Purpose for the Three-Tier Team
- A Three-Tier Structure with effective Levels and Grouping of Work
- EoR work levels and placement in compensation bands
- Direct reports exercising sound managerial leadership practices
- Assessment of EoR’s current potential capability and development of talent pool
- Planning for succession for roles reporting to them
- Ensuring fair and equitable treatment for EoRs
- Final EoR placement in or removal from a role, when appropriate, removal from the organization
- Ensuring effective cross-boundary relationships for EoRs
The four categories of the accountabilities of the MoR:
1. Three-Tier Teamwork
Three-tier teamwork requires the establishment of the team structure and ongoing communication of the context and purpose of the work.
2. Talent Development
Talent Development encompasses the requirement for ongoing Mentoring, Employee Development and Succession Planning.
3. Managerial Effectiveness
Managerial Effectiveness requires the MoR to ensure EoRs are receiving sound and effective managerial leadership from their manager through the application of the required Managerial Leadership Practices.
4. Fairness
Fairness captures the need to ensure fairness in the Performance Effectiveness process and the broader requirement to ensure fair treatment of employees by their manager through an Appeals process.
To execute these accountabilities, the MoR is entrusted with the following Authorities:
- Veto of EoRs selection
- Approval of removal of EoR from role (potentially from company)
- Approval of key cross-boundary relationships
- Resolve appeals
- Decide on promotions
MoRs Enable an Effective System
Instituting MoR processes provides a formal mechanism that encourages communication, openness, and trust across multiple levels. Specific benefits include the following:
- Allows senior management to design a strategic map of the talent pool to ensure people have the skills, capability, and interest to support current and future business objectives. Resource gaps are identified, and people are developed and/or recruited to fill the gaps.
- Separates accountability for career development from the manager’s accountability to coach direct reports to better meet current work requirements, allowing managers to better balance priorities.
- Through MoR-EoR conversations and mentoring, the MoR stays up-to-date on the organization’s health.
- MoRs have opportunities to observe the quality of their direct reports’ managerial leadership through Three-tier teamwork, allowing them to provide timely coaching and support to these managers, ensuring that all employees receive sound managerial leadership.
- MoR-EoR interactions enhance communication and provide a governance mechanism to prevent unfair treatment
- Creation of a trust-enhancing system where all levels can have open and frank conversations without fear of reprisal.
A trust-enhancing organization
Organizations with high trust deliver superior results and a work environment that fosters collaboration and innovation. The way to effective managerial leadership is through the development of the organization itself. With the right organization structure in place, employees and their managers will be enabled to work together in full collaboration and with constructive mutual trust. Given the opportunity, and with clear roles and accountabilities, people are keen to get on with their work and to have work to get on with. What has been missing and has been corrected is an adequate organizational framework within which to work and cooperate with each other. This means doing business with efficiency and competitiveness, and the release of imagination, trust, and satisfaction in work.
The four MoR categories and related processes integrate with each other as well as with the Performance Effectiveness processes to contribute towards achieving the objectives of the organization.
Core International Inc., and the MoR
Instituting MoR practices in an organization provides a formal mechanism to encourage communication, openness, and trust across multiple levels. Additionally, these roles help to sustain the efficacy of the organization structure and the management system. When distinct levels of work are implemented in an organization where each level adds value to the one below, the three tier management system has the greatest impact. At Core International Inc., we have helped hundreds of organizations institute MoR practices and the three-tier-management system. For more information on how we have helped our clients please see below.
Leadership Systems
At Core International Inc., Our executive level partners have extensive experience in building shared and sustainable leadership ecosystems that clarify roles to ensure the right work is being completed at the right level to execute upon your strategy. Our four-step process equips leaders with the tools and reinforcement they need to succeed while building a comprehensive leadership system. For more information, please see the link below to our leadership systems page.
Rapid Organization Diagnosis
Business leaders often know that the business isn’t delivering – but what’s the best starting point to fix the organization? Our approach to rapid organization diagnosis provides a real time snapshot of the efficacy of the organization structure and identifies what’s getting in the way of delivering the strategy and the business plan. Our four-step process provides a snapshot of the efficacy of the organization structure and provides insight into opportunities to create value in under 30 days. For more information, please see the link below to our rapid organization diagnosis page.
To find out more about these processes and have them described in detail (i.e)., the expectations and how they are interconnected, please fill out the form and we will email our Manager-once-Removed accountability toolkit, which includes in-depth explanations on Three Tier Management, an overview of MoR Accountability and Authority, and Three Tier Teamwork. Also you can follow us on LinkedIn or book a call directly with one of our partners.
Author: Ed McMahon. Ed is the managing partner with Core International, and specializes in creating organization designs structured to deliver strategy and improve performance.